Improved washing-machine



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Letters Patent No.'105,193, dated July 12, 1870.

IMPROVED WASHING-MACHINE.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part o thesame To all whom it may conce-'rn Be it known that I, IsAIAn W. GRAFFAM,of New Bedford, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Washing-Machines, of whichthe following is a specification.

Nature of Invention.

My invention consists in so arranging thc handle and rubber ofwashing-machines that the rubber -may be adjusted by simply raising andloweringthe handie; and, in order to allow the rubber to accommodateitself to any inequaliticsin the mass of garments being washed, springsare so situated, in regard to the rubber, that it can yield to the saidinequalities, and thus prevent stopping in the midst of the work.

In the drawing- Figurc 1 is a back elevation yot` my device, and

Figure 2- is a central longitudinal section.

Description.

In carrying out Amy invention, I construct a tub, wash-box, or trough,A, of any desired form, but by 'preference of that of a parallelogram,mount it on legs a a, and secure to two opposite sides of the troughpieces of wood, B B, which form bearings for rollers, b b, arrangedtransversely across the trough, in such a manner as to form a concaverubber, occupying the middle part of the bottom of the trough.

Standards C C are secured to the opposite sides of the trough, andextend up some distance above the level thereof, their ends formingbearings for a bar, c, from which is suspended a frame, D, which iscomposed of two arms, D' D', held together by a crossbar, d.

A second frame slides in guides in frame D, and consists of arms E E,carrying, at their lower ends,

the rubbingboard I, which consists of a piece of hard wood, with itsunder surface transversely ribbed or corrugated. rJlhis frame slides inguides formed in' the frame D.

In order to overcome any inequalities in the articles to be washed, Iattach coiled springs c c, one to each of the arms E E, by one cnd, andsecure the other end to a sliding bar, d', which works in grooves formedin the arms D' D'.

Set-screws F F are fitted in the cross-piece c1, and pass down throughthe sliding bar, so as to extend partly into the coil below, and thussteady it, and hold it in place.

At right angles to the arms D' D', I fasten short pieces or arms, H H,which project to any desired distance, and have on their ends a rod, g,which. forms an axis for handles G G.

These handles pass through openings in thearms E E, at a slight angle ofelevation, and, projecting thence to near the end of the tub or trough,are joined together by a bar, g', which forms, with the other parts, themeans of communicating motion to the frame D, and I call it the handleVIn operation, the trough may be filled with soapsuds and water to anydesired height, and the clothes placed therein on the concave rubber.The handle is raised, and lifts with it the rubbing-board. It' only athin layer of clothes is placed on the concave, the rubbing-board frameis `lowered by turning the screws, so as to push the sliding bar downinto the groove, and hold it there; and, if athick layer is to bewashed, this is reversed. The frame cannot rise to the bar on account ofthe pressure of the springs, and, when the handle is pushed back andforth, the openings wi-ll produce an elasticity in the rubbing-frame,which will electnally prevent the clothes from being torn, and, at thesame time, snicient pressure will be had to thoroughly cleanse them.

This handle serves not only to operate rubbingboard, but also to raiseand lower the frame to which it is attached when it becomes necessary todo so.

By working the rubbing-board frame in guides, only aVertica-l mot-ion isallowed, and thus the action of' the board is rendered free and easy.

A faucet is placed in the trough, by means of which the water, whennot-used, may be drawn olf.

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure, by Letters Patent, is

1. The suspended swinging frame D, carrying the sliding rubber-frame Illil I, the set-screws F, and springs c c, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. The handles G, pivoted, at one end, to extensions H of the frame D,and passing through openings in the sliding frame E, so as to leave theother W'itnesses:

OLIVER Pnnseo'rr, H. L. Pnnnrrm.4

